Bedcover support



I. G. KANE BEDCOVER SUPPORT Nov. 25, 1952 Filed July 22, 1949 FIG. 1;

INVENTOR ISABELLE G. KAN E V E MM R O T T A Patented Nov. 25, 1952UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEDCOVER. SUPPORT Isabelle G. Kane,Edwardsville, Ill.

Application July 22, 1949, Serial No. 106,240

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bed cover supports, and moreparticularly to a device for supporting a bed covering in an elevatedposition above the feet or legs of the occupant of the bed in suchmanner as to relieve any selected region of the lower limbs of pressuredue to the weight of bedclothing, either for added personal comfort orfor various therapeutic reasons, as in the case of an injured member.

This applicant is aware that certain devices have heretofore beendesigned for the general purpose of the present developments, but as faras is currently known, none of such devices is free of serious practicalshortcomings which consist of partial failures to realize the aforesaidgeneral purposes and objects, but in some cases the devices heretoforedescribed are unnecessarily bulky, difiicult of manipulation between aposi tion of use and a retracted or folded position, or for otherreasons have failed to attain a general availability to the trade fordomestic and hospital usage. The avoidance of such former shortcomingsaccordingly constitutes the major objective realized by the currentimprovements.

The invention may be summarized by reference to its present embodimentsas consisting of a light weight device, preferably of metal, which ispositioned or anchored in or on a bed by reason of the loading of amattress engaging a flat base portion of the device. It is furthercharacterized by a hinged or pivoted, and hence retractible cover restwhich, when erected, serves to support a portion of the bedclothingeither in a marginal or corner zone of, or fully across the bed equippedwith the device or a plurality thereof. In its most complete andadvanced embodiment, the assembly may comprise a pair or more ofindividual foldable units for the purpose noted, together with anadjustable distance bar separably connected to and bridging such pair ofunits to afford maximum facility for meeting almost any desired purposeand position of such a multiple unit.

In addition to the general objective above stated, the cover supports ofpresent design include a novel hinge between a base and a prop portionof a cover-supporting unit, together with a latch of improved simplifiedtype for maintaining the device in an erected position of use.

A further and valuable objective of the present improvements consists ina distance piece or stay rod equipped with end connections of quickdetachable type for functionally interconnectin a plurality of theindividual, retractible units.

other features of design preference objectively include a provision foradjustment in the length of a distance piece; a pivoted relation betweenthe end connectors of the distance rod together with a general shapingand conformity of the various elements of the cover support such as toconduce to light weight and compactness of form to facilitate shipment,packaging and storage; a device which is characterized by roundedelements and corners throughout, whereby to avoid any hazard of snaggingor tearing sheets, blankets and other elements of bedcovering, and aconstruction throughout which will conduce to thorough cleanliness,sanitation and freedom from any liability of rusting or staining theadjacent bedcovering materials.

Th foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages will more clearlyappear from the following detailed description of a presently preferredembodiment, particularly when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation somewhat diagrammatic in nature, of a bed,bed covering and occupant showing one position of the cover support whenin use;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged elevation in perspective of one of thecover supporting units including present improvements, and showing indotted lines a retracted position of the cover rest element;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken inthe region of a pivotal connection between the cover rest and the basestructure of the device, and showing a locking slide in position tomaintain the cover rest in erected position, the location of Fig. 3being indicated by line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to the foot portion of Fig. 1,showing the device as applied laterally of the bed and mattress, as samewould appear when utilizing a pair of the units on opposite margins ofthe foot of the bed;

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the use of a pair of units bridged by adistance rod, and as viewed along line 55 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a view of the distance rod or tie bar, with connections andadjustment features.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, in Fig. 1 isshown a bed B which may be of conventional type and includes, togetherwith the usual rails R, the head, foot and other usual portions of bedstructure, a mattress M resting upon the spring frame or the lik ofwhich the rails B may form a part.

In the preferred form of the device the assembly of each unit includes aU-shaped base generally indicated at [0, and which consists of a bridgeelement II and side bars l2, the otherwise free ends of the members I2being turned upwardly so as to constitute a pair of substantiallyvertical extensions [3. The base Ill, comprised of elements H, l2 andI3, is brought to a position of usage by inserting the horizontalmembers lI-IZ just below the mattress M, specifically beneath a marginalportion of the mattress, and by preference in such manner that themembers or extensions l3 will project vertically alongside the end or aside margin of the mattress and parallel thereto. In this manner theweight of the mattress and usually the loading imposed thereon as byWeight of the occupant, will effectively maintain the cover support unitin about the position shown by Fig. 1,,by way of example.

In the embodiment shown, the cover rest proper consists of an invertedarch or U-shaped element generally indicated at it, and consisting of abridge piece 15 together with side arms 15. The portions and it areconnected through smooth wide bend zones similarly to the analogousportions of the base iii, and as a preference but without restriction,the subassemblies It and it may be formed of an aluminum rod stock, sayof one-quarter inch diameter and substantially of circular section. Theselection of aluminum enables, as may be desired, a plated finish, orwith some production economy, the omission of any finish, still withouthazards of staining or rusting the bedclothing.

Assuming a metal rod stock of circular section to constitute the baseand cover rest as described, it is preferred to connect hingedly orpivotally, the member [4 to the member It, whereby to enable retractionor folding actuation of the cover rest between periods of usage. To thisend, a hinge or pivot serves to connect each of the vertical extensions3 with an adjacent side arm l6, such pivot being constituted by reducingas in the region 28, the lower end portion of each arm 16, to a halfcircular section, and similarly forming the upper end of each adjacentextension I3, as indicated at 2i. The portions 20 and 2| aretransversely apertured' to receive a pivot pin 22 and in the formationof the reduced ends 2Ei-2l, each of the parts it and i6 is provided witha sloping ledge, shoulder or abutment, as indicated at 23 on member [3,and 24' on member it. These shoulders coact with the adjacent end facesof the reduced portions 20 and 2| so as to limit definitely the raisingor erecting movement of assembly 5 to the vertical, as shown by Fig. 2.

It has been found desirable to provide a form of locking slide formaintaining the hinged or pivoted sections in vertical position as shownby Fig. 2, in order to prevent unintended or casual retraction of thecover rest under the weight of the bedclothing supported at an abnormalheight thereby. A suitably rugged and low-cost form of locking slide isindicated at 25, and consists of a short length of metal tubing,aluminum for example, Which is of an internal diameter slightly greaterthan the external diameter of the rod stock forming members [-3 and It.In this manner the locking slides may be moved freely along and overthese elements, the two tubular slides being normally carried by thearms IE, one slide on each thereof. Thus when the member I4 is raised tothe vertical, the freely dropping tubular slides 25 will fall, solely bygravity, one moving downwardly along each arm I 6 until arrested '4 insuch movement. A limiting provision of this order consists of a shortpin 26 press fit into a recess in the adjacent vertical section l3.

As will now be obvious and as indicated by the dotted lines of member M(Fig. 2), assuming the member l4 to be lying fiat upon and parallel tothe top of the mattress beneath the bedcovering as made up over theunit, the ball or cover rest proper may be elevated by moving samethrough a range of about ninety degrees, following which, due to thegravity action of the locking slides 25, it will be maintained inerected position until intentionally released therefrom since thetubular members 25 will fall to a position as shown by Fig. 3, in whichthe slide fully embraces the pivot zone. When it is again desired toretract the cover support, the tubes may be easily manually or otherwiselifted so that they clear the hinge or pivot structure described, thusagain permitting the cover rest to be folded or retracted to ahorizontal position over the top of the mattress or usually moreaccurately, over the top of the lowermost sheet element of thebedcovering.

in order best to assure the assembly'an unobtrusive position whenretracted, and to interfere as little as possible with a smooth andorderly makeup of bed, it is preferred that the vertical dimension ofthe extensions 53 up to the hinge zone of each, correspondsubstantiallyto the thickness or depth of the mattress M. As may bedesired, it will now be obvious that the members it may consist in theirupper portions, of tubular elements (not shown), telescopically relatedto short vertical projections of the base ii], thereby enabling anadjustment in height-for the purpose noted, of the hinge zones above theplane of base it.

The description thus far has related to a single foldable cr retractibleunit of a light weight compact character, for the purpose noted. It has,however, been found to enhance greatly the use= fulness in certainfields of therapeutic usage, to extend the present facilities formultiple use. of such units. In the present example, the versatility andadaptability of multiple units are greatly enhanced by the use of a tierod or distanc piece generally indicated at 33. In a most advanced formthe distance rod'3't' consists of two or more telescoping sections 31'and 32 which may frictionally interfit to a degree such assatisfactorily to maintain any predetermined length adjustment, or ifdesired, the larger section. 3! may be provided with a wing screw 33 tomaintain more positively the desired length setting of the member 36. Itis preferred to form the distance rod of tubular stock, with the endsthereof somewhat flattened as indicated at'34on the member 3i, and at 35on the member 32-. Each of these flattened ends is apertured for thereception of an assembly rivet st'which extends through a suitableaperture in one end of a snap fitting 31 constituting a quickdetachable'or'snapon connection between the distance rod 39 and'on'e ofthe .pair of supporting units engaged by the rod, specifically thebridge element iii of the cover support of each such unit when erected.

It is preferable that the relation between the sna connection and theend of the adjacent section of the distance rod be characterized by" asubstantial frictional relation, so that'the connecticn may be set atand yet retain anydesired angle with the longitudinal axis of the rod 30Thus if the connection 31 at one end, nds gimp. lar connection 38 at theopposite end of the distance rod, be turned so as to lie along theproduced axis of member 35, a pair or the units may be located as shownby Fig. 5 with each unit of this pair adjacent the lateral margin of thefoot portion of the mattress M and with the distance rod 80 constitutinga full width bridge over the foot part of the bed, thus making thecovers entirely free or contact with the feet or toes of the occupant.Similarly this twin unit with distance rod may be moved toward the head,so as to shield any particular region of the body against the loading ofthe bedclothing.

The provision of a swivel connection such as constituted by theflattened portion of each connector and the adjacent end of the tie rodor distance piece, enable, as is sometimes desired, the location of oneof the supporting units under an end of the mattress with a companionunit under a side of the mattress, in which case the tie bar or rod 36will extend diagonally of, or across the corner of a bed. The swivelconnections as described thus greatly augment the possibilities forvarying the angular disposition of the multiple units, While the lengthadjustment, due to the telescoping construction of the tie rod, providesalmost limitless possibilities of variably spacing a pair of the units.

It has been found that the devices as described are capable of manynormal and therapeutic uses in addition to those described. For example,it

has been found that with the aid of a simple form of clamp, atherapeutic lamp, such as an infra red fixture, may be readily attachedas by a spring clamp, to the bridge bar of one of the units, thusaffording, besides the direct cover supporting function, excellentfacilities for various kinds of radiant therapy, and as may be desired,with a safe heat-retention feature when thus used beneath the covering.

It will now have appeared that the device as described will fullyrealize the several objects above expressed, as Well as others nowapparent from the more detailed description.

Although the invention has been described by detailed reference topreferred embodiments, such detail of description should be understoodas instructive, rather than as limiting in any sense the full intendedscope of the invention, numerous variants both of structure andarrangement being possible within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for elevating an extended marginal portion of a bedcovering above the normal mattress level, a pair of units normallyspaced along a mattress, each said unit including a base adapted forinsertion below a mattress, and a bed cover support carried by the base,and extended to a height above the mattress, a distance rod bridging andspacing a pair of said units, length-adjustment means on and for saidrod, and a connection of a quick-detachable type at each end of thedistance rod, each said connection being pivotally related to theadjacent end of the rod, and detachably secured to one of said units.

2. In a device for elevating a marginal portion of a bed covering over amattress, a normally horizontal base formed of a length of metal rodstock, the base being formed as a substantially U-shaped member, theouter end portions of the arms of which are substantially verticallyupturned to extend along the margin of a mattress, each vertical outerend portion of said base being provided with a reduced end portion ofsemicircular section, a cover support formed of a metal rod stock andbeing in the form of an inverted U-shaped member, and of a widthsubstantially eq ial to that of said U-shaped base portion, the oppositearms of the cover support being provided with similarly formed reducedend portions of semicircular section, the companion reduced end portionsof semi-circular section of the base and cover support interfitting inoverlapping relation to provide a hinge, a pivot pin connecting eachpair of said companion formed reduced end portions, the reduced portionsbeing provided with shoulders formed in each said zone of pivotalconnection, said shoulders coactingto prevent pivotal movement of thecover support beyond the vertical, as said support is moved from afolded position to a fully extended position, the vertical outer endportions of said base being of a length as to permit the cover supportto overlie horizontally a mattress when said support is in a foldedposition, a tubular slide carried by each of the arms of the coversupport, and movable by gravity into overlying and embracing relation tothe hinge when the arms of said support are brought to a verticalposition determined by said shoulders, the tubular slide preventingcasual pivotal movement of the cover support from the operative verticalposition, and a projection carried by each of said vertical outer endportions of the base below the hinge, the projections serving to limitthe movement and fix the bottom position of the adjacent tubular slideswhen each said slide is in a locking position.

3. In a device for elevating a marginal portion of a bed covering, apair of units each including a base portion adapted for insertion belowa mattress, and a substantially vertical portion extended upwardly of,and carried by the base for support of a marginal part of a bed coveringat a distance above the mattress, a distance piece bridging the pair ofsaid units, means for detachably connecting the distance piece to one ofsaid units, and means enabling an adjustment in effective length of thedistance piece.

l. In a device for elevating a marginal portion of a bed covering, apair of foldable units each including a base portion adapted forinsertion below a mattress, a substantially vertical portion extendedupwardly of, and carried by the base, and a cover support pivotallysecured to said vertical portion for support of a marginal part of a bedcovering at a distance above the mattress, a distance piece bridging thepair of said units, means for detachably connecting the distance pieceto one of said units, and means enabling an adjustment in effectivelength of the distance piece.

ISABELLE G. KANE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,186,202 Jasinski June 6, 19161,374,400 Shirek Apr. 12, 1921 2,106,834 Ewald Feb. 1, 1938 2,210,255Peevey Aug. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 124,954 GreatBritain Apr. 10, 1919 182,528 Switzerland May 1, 1936

